Invertable carded blister package

ABSTRACT

An improved package for high density display of articles on display cards is provided by mounting a product on a card so that it is equally visible from both sides of the card and by providing a mounting hole for pegboard mounting and display of the card and article at each end of the card. In order to facilitate display of the card with either end up, the printed information on the face of the card is inverted on one side of the card with reference to that on the other side.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,861,528 Damuth Jan. 21, 1975 1 INVERTABLECARDED BLISTER 3,307,693 3/1967 Bittner 206/461 PACKAGE 3,721,339 3/1973Seyer 206/463 Inventor: K. Joseph Damuth, Cranston, RI.

Assignee: General Electric Company, New

York, N.Y.

Filed: Apr. 27, 1973 Appl. No.: 355,219

US. Cl 206/463, 206/459, 206/486 Int. Cl 865d 73/00 Field of Search206/461-471, 206/476, 477, 485, 486, 493, DIG. 29;

References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 9/1954 Francois 206/303 PrimaryExaminer-William 1. Price Assistant ExaminerDouglas B. Farro Attorney,Agent, or FirmPaul E. Rochford; P. L. Schlamp [57] 7 ABSTRACT Animproved package for high density display of articles on display cardsis provided by mounting a product on a card so that it is equallyvisible from both sides of the card and by providing a mounting hole forpegboard mounting and display of the card and article at each end of thecard. In order to facilitate display of the card with either end up, theprinted information on the face of the card is inverted on one side ofthe card with reference to that on the other side.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SOCKET PATENTEUJAHZI i975 B 16 4 6 2 2 j m!.Y

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1 INVERTABLE CARDED BLISTER PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thepresent invention relates to improved display of articles for sale tocustomers in self service types of merchandise displays. Moreparticularly, it relates to a novel package for use in cardedmerchandise display where the cards are hung from elongated hooksextending out from a supporting surface, usually a pegboard surface. 7 Ii It is well'known that there is a great convenience to shoppers in selfserviceretail stores where the merchandise and the information relatingto the merchandise, such as the description of the product and thecatalog and other identifying numbers, are readily visible to theprospective purchaser. Numerous packages have been provided whichcontainthe articles tobe offered for sale'and also have imprinted on thepackages some information which is helpful to the prospective purchaserand which'is readilyevident because of the verof needed informationregarding the article which he seeks without consuming the time of aclerk or store attendant who could otherwise devote his time to stockingandpricing and the related duties with which detail store employees'arenormally concerned. Moreover, the diversity of merchandise in manystores is such that a retail clerk cannot be well informed on all ofthem and thecarded information is often more reliable than thatavailable from a store attendant.

The value of packages which place in ready view of the purchaser boththe article-to be purchased and information pertaining thereto, has beendemonstrated over aperiod ofyears to beveryvaluable to the consumer,and{ displays of this type have proliferated in many mass merchandisingstores throughout the coun- In general, it is known that the storage ofa larger number of articles on a hook is advantageous both to the storeowner and to the consumer inasmuch as it permits the store, owner to.spend less time in stocking the merchandise display .and it enables theconsumerpurchaser tofmd thearticle which he seek more readily, i.e.,there is a lower incidence of empty hooks. However, where the article tobe displayed is itself quite thick or bulky, there is a limit on thenumber of the carded articles which can be mounted on a display hook ofthe conventional size employed in stores. For example, where a hook ofsome 10 inches in length is employed, it is possible, to stack ten cardson the hook where each of the articles mounted on the individual cardsis itself about 1 inch in thickness.

The problem of loading more merchandise on'a display hook has beensolved in part by placing the article to bedisplayed off center and toone side of the card, and alternating the side tow hich the, article ismounted when the card is mounted on the hook. One problem with this typeof display is'that where the article is off center, and. the holev inthe card is centered, the card tends to hang at an angle to bring thearticle by force.

of gravity under the point of support on the hook unless it is nestedwith and opposed by a second, alternated item. Wherethe hole isprovided, over the article, the

ther casethere is some disadvantage to using the sideto-side off-centerarticle display of the prior art.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly one object of the presentinvention to provide a package which permits higher density packing anddisplay of articles as displayed on merchandise hooks.

Another object is to provide a merchandise display in which a largernumber of articles are displayed on a merchandise rack hook.

Still another object is to provide a low cost packaging for articleswhich facilitates ready identification by prospective purchasers'of thenature, quantity and qualities of the articles displayed.

Still other objects will be in part apparent from, and in part pointedout in, the description which follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a card havingprinting matter on each side of the card where the printed matter isinverted on one side with reference to the other. It also includes twohang-holes through which the display hook is-inserted. in mounting thecards for display. The package also includes a window in the card whichmay have a silhouette of the article to be displayed. The package alsoincludes means for retaining the article readily visible from each sideof the card.

Such a package may have a-blister holding the article in-place in thewindow so that the article can be seen well from either side and meansfor holding the blister to the card.

Also two cards maybe sandwiched together to hold I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWING The description of the invention which follows will be madeclearer by reference vto the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of-a card package as provided by thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of acard as illustrated in FIG. 1 taken alongthe line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the card package as illustrated in FIG. .1but with the card inverted relative to the position shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of packages as provided by this inventionmounted on a merchandise display hook advantage of alternating the cardsis lost so that in eiwith alternate cards being inverted relative toeach other. I

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the merchandise display generally asshown in FIG. 4 with the front cards of the display spread out forclarity of illustration.

' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS inverted position in FIG. 3with reference to the posi-- tion shown in FIG. 1.

Where a single card is employed, the card can be of conventional cardstock such as a sulphite board or the like and should have two surfacescapable of receiving printed matter. The card has an upper section 16,as seen in FIG. 1, in which printed matter is applied on a first surface11, and a lower section '18 to which the article to be displayed may bemounted. Conversely as viewed in FIG. 3, the section 16 in which a panelof printed matter is applied on a second surface 13, is at the lowerportion of the card and the section 18, where the product is to bemounted, is at the upper portion of the card. Actually the productitself is not displayed with the card in the drawing but one form ofpackaging which permits the product to be held in place in the card isillustrated. This packaging may illustratively include two blistersalthough alternative modes of package construction referred to above andbelow may be employed.

In the double blister form of such a package, one such blister isillustrated in FIG. 1 to have a flat apron 20 surrounding a formedmid-portion 22. The flat apron extends around an opening or windowthrough the card, which window conforms generally to the raised portion22 of the blister in the form of package illustrated. The apron 20 issealed to a surface 11 of card over at least a portion of the area wherethe flat surface of the apron and the flat surface of the card 10 are incontact.

An article which may be contained within the package may be, asillustratively described in the printed panel of the figures, athree-way socket for a lamp. Such a socket would include a main barrelor body to be housed within the larger cylindrical raised midportion 22of the blister. It may also include a handle or knob portion housedwithin the knob shaped raised portion 24 of the blister, and it mayfurther include a narrower cylindrical endportion housed within theconforming narrower cylindrical end portion 26 of the blister.

In FIG. 3 portions 22', 24' and 26' of a blister are seen extending fromthe opposite face 13 of card 10 and corresponding generally to the likenumbered portions 22, 24 and 26 .as described with reference to theblister of FIG. 1 extending out from face 11 of card 10.

It will beseen from FIGS. 1 and 3 that anapron for the blister ofFlG. lis evident in the FIG. 1 but that no similar apron is evident in FIG. 3.This package structure illustrated in the drawing is only one of severalalternative modes of package construction. In this particular mode ofconstruction aprons for two blisters used in housing a product arepresent on one side 11 of the card. In the construction illustrated andparticularly that illustrated in FIG. 1, both blisters have aprons andboth aprons are sealed to theone side 11 of the card and accordingly thesame side. The raised portions 22', 24' and 26' extending through thecard and apparent in FIG. 3, does not show an apron as the apron isactually on the opposite side 11 of the card and under apron 20.

Others can be used in place of the construction shown and will work justas well for packages of this invention. As a further alternative, theconstruction can include a single blister on one side of a card such as10 but with no blister on the opposite side. The displayed product isretained in place at its window by use of an undersized window in thecard. In this fashion the product can be retained on the card so thatthe product is held on one side of the card by the blister, and isrestrained from passing through to the other side of the card' by theundersized window in the card. A slight reduction in visibility of theproduct resutls when the carded product is viewed from the side of thecard with the restricted window, but the use of packages in high densitystacking according to the present invention remains feasible.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a side elevational view of aconventional pegboard 30 having a conventional merchandise rack hook 32extending from the board and held to the board by a hook bracket 34.Also illustrated are a grouping of some six carded packages similar tothose described and illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3. Aswill be evident from the drawing, the first such package 36 is seen tobe hanging with the product container 38 at its lower section andaccordingly with the inprinted panel of information at its upper section40. Proceeding out along the hook 32 from pegboard 30 a second package42 is seen to be inverted with respect to package 36 so that itsmerchandise container 44 is at the upper portion of the card close tohook 32 and the imprinted panel of information is at the lower portion46. Each of the other carded packages 48, 50, 52 and 54 are likewiseinverted relative to the adjacent cards so that the actual number ofcards which are on the rack is larger than would be afforded it, forexample, each card was hung with its merchandise container in an upperposition, or was hung with its merchandise container in a lowerposition.

Referring next to FIG. 5 there is shown in perspective view a similararrangement of the carded packages which illustrates in better detailthe relationship between the merchandise display container and the panelof information which is associated with the merchandise on each .of thepackages. The packages are illustrated as separated along the hook 56 toshow the panels of printed material of adjacent'cards, allsuch panelsbeing upright in the sense that they can be readily read by aprospective purchaser.

As is also evident from the drawing, all of the cards are hung from asingle hook 56 but the first card 58 has the imprinted information atits upper portion and the container package for display of products atits lower portion. By contrast the immediately adjacent card 60 has theimprinted information at its lower portion and its container for displayof products'at its upper portion. Thus, for each package the panel ofprinted information is readily visible and the container for the productto be displayed is also readily visible. When the merchandise is closelyarrayed on the rack, as for example in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4,there is a greater density of packing of the articles than is feasibleby the prior art methods. With this greater density of packing there isno reduction in the, visibility of the panel'or of the informative valueof the information displayed with the article and pertaining to thearticle. Also, for each of the cards 58, 60 and the others on the rackof FIG. 5 that there is a hang-hole at the lower margin of the card aswell as at the top so that each card can be hung in either itscontainer-up or container-down position.

For the purposes of this invention the end of the card is that portionin which a hang-hole is formed and/or located. Accordingly the ends of acard of generally square configuration are the portions of the card atwhich the opposite hang-holes are located. Also, each hang-hole iscentrally located with respect to its respective end so that the packagewill hang straight downward from the hook 56. However, depending uponthe product displayed and the weight distribution thereof on the card,the hang-hole can be predeterminedly located to insure satisfactorystraight hanging of the card from the hook.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States-is:

l. A package for display of articles on merchandise display hooks whichcomprises,

a card having a product display window therein,

means for supporting the product in the window in said card so that itcan be viewed from either side of said card,

a panel of product information imprinted on each side of said card, thepanel being inverted on one side with reference to that on the other,

and a hang-hole located at each end of said card.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the product display window conformsgenerally to the outline of a cross-section of the product to bedisplayed.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein the product display window is smallerthan the product to be displayed but permits a substantial portion ofthe product to extend through said product display window.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein the supporting means is at least onetransparent blister affixed to the card to support the packaged productto said card.

5. The package of claim 1, wherein the supporting means includes twoblisters affixed to the card to retain the product in place.

6. The package of claim 1, wherein the supporting means comprises twotransparent plastic blisters, each having a formed portion conforming tothe general outline of one half of the product to be contained.

7. The package of claim 6, where the blisters have aprons extendingtherefrom for attachment to said card 8. The package of claim 7, whereinthe aprons are both attached by bonding to one side of said card.

1. A package for display of articles on merchandise display hooks whichcomprises, a card having a product display window therein, means forsupporting the product in the window in said card so that it can beviewed from either side of said card, a panel of product informationimprinted on each side of said card, the panel being inverted on oneside with reference to that on the other, and a hang-hole located ateach end of said card.
 2. The package of claim 1, wherein the productdisplay window conforms generally to the outline of a cross-section ofthe product to be displayed.
 3. The package of claim 1, wherein theproduct display window is smaller than the product to be displayed butpermits a substantial portion of the product to extend through saidproduct display window.
 4. The package of claim 1, wherein thesupporting means is at least one transparent blister affixed to the cardto support the packAged product to said card.
 5. The package of claim 1,wherein the supporting means includes two blisters affixed to the cardto retain the product in place.
 6. The package of claim 1, wherein thesupporting means comprises two transparent plastic blisters, each havinga formed portion conforming to the general outline of one half of theproduct to be contained.
 7. The package of claim 6, where the blistershave aprons extending therefrom for attachment to said card.
 8. Thepackage of claim 7, wherein the aprons are both attached by bonding toone side of said card.